Legalization in Canada

Around the time that that awesome documentary "The Union" came out in 2007 it seemed to me as though the movement for legalization was reaching a tipping point. Now six years latter public opinion clearly supports legalization and with the news from Colorado and Washington attitudes are shifting everywhere including in the Liberal Party of Canada which has recently promoted legalization as part of their platform. Also, in my province, British Columbia, an organization of volunteers is knocking on doors and buying billboards in a vicious attempt at decriminalization.

Our conservative government brought us a deficit in the federal budget and there is compelling evidence that the party was responsible for misleading voters known to support the opposition by sending robotic phone calls which gave them directions to the wrong poling stations all over Canada. The Conservative were elected to "clean up government" and low taxes and they accomplished the latter at the significant cost of putting the country in debt but government is as dirty as ever.

If you can't already tell I am upset that their party has held a majority here but I doubt it will last after 2015. The two other big players here are the NDP and the Liberals. The NDP would decriminalize cannabis federally.

Justin Treudeu (the new Liberal Party Leader) is the son a Pierre Eliot Treudeu. If you're not familiar both of these guys are rock star politicians in this country. They carry overwhelming support from the party and from Canadians. They are charismatic and unconventional. I think it was just last year; for example, Justin Treudeu challenged and beat a conservative Senator in a televised boxing match. He is probably more popular than the party itself.

Recently Justin Trudeau has been touring British Columbia to promote support for the legalization of marijuana and the Conservative party is bashing him hard for it calling him "irresponsible" and unleashing studies, and reefer madness to discredit him.

Canadian efforts to legalize could dramatically effect the crumbling of the Berlin wall of pot for our southern neighbors. Lets talk about it people!

I bet Justin caves as soon as he is elected. Once they get into office and realize how little power they really have, it all goes to shit.

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Why would you think that? Aren't all politicians honorable and honest,with only the good of the people one their agenda?
Please don't go down the path the U.S. did. Our government has actualy declared war on it's own citizens. As far as our government is concerned each and every one of us that posseses even a gram of marijuana to be a federal criminal. I'm sitting next to an ounce of weed in two separate baggies. That makes me guilty of intent to distribute a class 3 banned substance. If the cops kicked in my door right now I'd do three years,guaranteed. Even with no drug charges on my record,three years.
It's ironic that for years I fought and killed for the federal government,now I'm ready to shoot the the first fed that kicks down my door.
"Hello officer,welcome to my home,that door you just kicked in was locked for your protection,not mine".
Life's funny like that.

This was in a Canadian paper the other day.
Not good news for everyone legally growing their own medication...

Londoner Michael Barron doesn’t want to become a criminal, but says he has no choice.
He may well be the face of a problem coming as the deadline nears for a crackdown on who’s allowed to produce medicinal marijuana in Canada.
For six years, Barron has depended upon medical marijuana prescribed by his doctor to take the edge off the pain from a variety of chronic ailments such as neuropathic pain syndrome.
But starting Oct. 1, Health Canada is making changes that will drive up the cost of the drug into the stratosphere — Barron would have to pay $3,390 for a month’s supply, more than triple his only source of income, an Ontario disability payment.
That will leave Barron turning to street dealers — and he could very well be one of thousands, as the scramble begins by medical marijuana users suddenly facing the tougher new federal rules.
“I’m being made to feel like a criminal because I will have to go to the street to buy my medicine,” said Barron, who didn’t want to use his real last name because his family gets upset by the attention.
He won’t be alone. Health Canada estimates it has approved medical marijuana use for 30,000 Canadians and the number has grown at such a pace the agency predicts there could be 50,000 by next year.
Until now, most of those users grew marijuana themselves or found someone who would do it for them, often in a home with little overhead. They could even buy the drug through Health Canada for a subsidized rate of $5 a gram.
But that regime is being phased out — starting Oct. 1, no one new will be able to grow medical marijuana for themselves or someone else and starting next April only licensed and heavily regulated commercial producers will be allowed to grow the stuff.
Health Canada predicts the changes will cause the price of medical marijuana to rise quickly, with users having to pay an extra $1.66 billion over 10 years.
“They’ll all go back to the street,” said Aaron Bott, president of a group that had been helping medical marijuana users find the drug at lower costs, Mobile Access Compassionate Resources Organization Society in Edmonton.
“(Health Canada is) giving it back to the underground cartels who aren’t scared to keep growing.”
While marijuana is generally an illegal drug to grow and sell in Canada, courts here have carved out an exception for medical use, saying such users need access.
Those court rulings led Health Canada to create a system that it’s now phasing out, one that let patients or people they designate grow marijuana in their homes.
“Growth in program participation has had unintended consequences for the administration of the (program), but more importantly, for public health, safety and security,” Health Canada wrote in explaining the need for new regulations.
“Municipalities and first responders, such as fire and police officials, have raised serious public health and safety concerns regarding production of marijuana in private dwellings,” Health Canada wrote.
As of Oct. 1, Health Canada will no longer accept new applications to produce in homes. On April 1, 2014, the old program will be over and users will only be able to get marijuana from a licensed, commercial producer.
It remains to be seen how many people or companies will seek a licence or how many will be approved, an issue that would affect the supply of medical marijuana and its price.
Not everyone will lose with the new scheme. Health Canada says it will save money not having to process applications and that the new, licensed producers will see extra dough, too.
“(There will be benefits) to producers due to a higher market price and a reduction in economic inefficiency from the removal of current government subsidies on marijuana sold by Health Canada,” the agency wrote in an analysis of the costs and benefits of the new program.jonathan.sher@sunmedia.caTwitter.com/JSHERatLFPressOLD PROGRAM
Doctors write prescriptions for marijuana for patients who aren’t helped with standard treatments.
Patients seek approval from Health Canada. Decisions take about 10 weeks.
Approved patients can grow marijuana, designate someone without a criminal drug conviction the past 10 years to grow it for them, or pay Health Canada $5 a gram for marijuana grown for the regulator.NEW PROGRAM
Patients won’t be allowed to grow marijuana themselves, designate someone to do so or buy it through Health Canada.
Health Canada will license growers who must produce it in commercial facilities with documented security and record keeping and notify local authorities of the production. All key people in the operation must obtain security clearance. Marijuana must be chemically tested, properly stored and shipped in a package that is sealed and tracked.BY THE NUMBERS
30,000: Canadians who have the OK to use medical marijuana
50,000: Those expected to be approved for use by 2014 given the program’s growth
$1.6 billion: How much extra medical marijuana users will have to pay over 10 years when the new, more restrictive regime takes effect

Hummm... But what's this politician's real intent other than to gain sympathy over cannabis? Looking at his picture above i've got wonder if Justin's inside voice wasn't simply saying:

Have mercy father for i have sinned!​

Ha! Ha! Or something along those lines... Well, i'm getting a bit cynical here, but it's not unlike religious matters where notions of "good" and "truth" collide, whatever, or that sort of trivial things... The successive anti-cannabic United Nations treaties were aimed at protecting children and their society, maybe it's time to re-evaluate the results... Isn't that interesting enough to discuss it over a gram with a couple friends around the pool?...

Yet "Vapo" is still only 4 characters after all, so why doesn't the man with a voice at least try to look as if he cares for "stoner" health, since this might educate some of our fellow citizens as a bonus (especially for those who need it the most). As a matter of fact "UN" is even shorter and that's where Justin Trudeau needs to start: the law's original purpose is the weak-spot of this whole repressive contraption system Canada has sustained for much too long already. It didn't solve anything to burn witches, bridges that were blessed with holy water may still fall, etc., etc...

In short, Please Justin! Lets shead some light on the crap-reasoning of anti-cannabic warriors which gave rise to what i begin to see like a collective hate crime promoted by obcessive zealots!...

Control? Regulations? Why not address the most basic question(s): why should anti-cannabic control be required in the 1st place? ...by virtue of some international treaty (on top of that!), etc... Well, i begin to wonder when we're going to hear of UN treaty origins, the context, etc. Because i believe the actual anti-cannabic laws became possible in disturbed times only because a failed Government endorsed itself real bigot discriminatory behaviour against cannabis-related matters. I wouldn't dare give it another name today...

I really do hope there is change, but at this point I just see it as a grab for the younger voter. The Liberals have been hurting badly for some time.

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Since the demographics show that the real increase in cannabis use is in the 50+ age group (aging stoners, increased medical use) I'd have to disagree with this. I'd say it is more a recognition of the changed attitude towards tolerance by the general public. It makes the Liberals look both reasonable and modern.

Since the demographics show that the real increase in cannabis use is in the 50+ age group (aging stoners, increased medical use) I'd have to disagree with this. I'd say it is more a recognition of the changed attitude towards tolerance by the general public. It makes the Liberals look both reasonable and modern.

Yeah I was being sarcastic. And I don't agree with that statement at all...there are plenty of young people who care about their futures. There just have not been any politicians that appeal to them or speak to their needs...it has been mostly old farts in office.

Hummm... M'yeah, in fact it should feel nice to be able to believe at least those guys of the federal Liberal party can prove to behave reasonably in this day and age at Ottawa! Doesn't Shawinigan ring a bell, by the way?... Euh... Anyway. Yet, such pro-cannabic petition could have been free of political influence and i wouldn't have minded "signing" in the least bit. But this is Justin Trudeau's face on the article, so...

The fact remains, IMHO if it were meant to be that reasonable & modern then why didn't Justin Trudeau express a minimum of concern for Public Health matters since that's where the anti-canabic war started: an effort to protect children and society. Reefer Madness stuff, etc.

I was impressed by the personal confidence revealed lately but... Since he's got a voice right now i think it's about time someone talks about alternatives to combustion on TV.

Hummm... M'yeah, in fact it should feel nice to be able to believe at least those guys of the federal Liberal party can prove to behave reasonably in this day and age at Ottawa! Doesn't Shawinigan ring a bell, by the way?... Euh... Anyway. Yet, such pro-cannabic petition could have been free of political influence and i wouldn't have minded "signing" in the least bit. But this is Justin Trudeau's face on the article, so...

The fact remains, IMHO if it were meant to be that reasonable & modern then why didn't Justin Trudeau express a minimum of concern for Public Health matters since that's where the anti-canabic war started: an effort to protect children and society. Reefer Madness stuff, etc.

I was impressed by the personal confidence revealed lately but... Since he's got a voice right now i think it's about time someone talks about alternatives to combustion on TV.

Don't you?

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Yes, I absolutely agree that alternatives, especially vapourizing, should be part of the discussion. I cringe whenever they make an assumption that cannabis consumption is limited to smoking.

I find that when I bring up alternative to smoking in conversation people get uncomfortable. Really any time I show any kind of intimate understanding of the plant, (often by accident) even if I'm talking about harm reduction methods like vaporizers, I find even other people who blaze with me almost seem ashamed. Guys don't tell their girlfriends that they blaze and I know a guy who will smoke cigarettes in front of his family openly but hasn't even admitted to them that he like to blaze. The vocal community is part of what draws me to this forum. Weed smokers seem to be the focus of more disdain than tobacco smokers.

So it's really good to seem us doing things about it. Peter Mackay, Minister of Justice in Canada nearly lost his job on account of his bad choice of words.

I find that when I bring up alternative to smoking in conversation people get uncomfortable. Really any time I show any kind of intimate understanding of the plant, (often by accident) even if I'm talking about harm reduction methods like vaporizers, I find even other people who blaze with me almost seem ashamed. Guys don't tell their girlfriends that they blaze and I know a guy who will smoke cigarettes in front of his family openly but hasn't even admitted to them that he like to blaze. The vocal community is part of what draws me to this forum. Weed smokers seem to be the focus of more disdain than tobacco smokers.

So it's really good to seem us doing things about it. Peter Mackay, Minister of Justice in Canada nearly lost his job on account of his bad choice of words.

when i first heard that trudeau admitted to smoking around his pool with friends while being an mp, i wondered if it could hurt him. but then this bit with mackay fixes it... yep just makes mackay look like a dick head lol
i really hope and dream that with in the next few years, there wont be any breaking of the "law"
with regard to using this wonderfull plant anyway we chose. and all these goofballs carriyng on there witch hunt will look just like that. goofballs, stiffs, idiots ect ect

when i first heard that trudeau admitted to smoking around his pool with friends while being an mp, i wondered if it could hurt him. but then this bit with mackay fixes it... yep just makes mackay look like a dick head lol
i really hope and dream that with in the next few years, there wont be any breaking of the "law"
with regard to using this wonderfull plant anyway we chose. and all these goofballs carriyng on there witch hunt will look just like that. goofballs, stiffs, idiots ect ect

That was a good read, brief but on target. I can't but imagine the surprize for federal justice minister m. Peter MacKay when he learned about cannabis consumption NOT being a criminal offence! Yet that's his job to know, in the name of Canada's people he's supposed to represent! Thanks for the mention, very effective!!...